Textile spindle



July 9, 1957 C. c. BELL 2,798,775

TEXTILE SPINDLE Original Filed May 1. 1950 76 7o -74\ 71 ss 62; Z: 66-" 38 48 4 4s 42 44 m at ,us l9 W33 .g/zl 22 j s3 55 I 54 40%91 s2 34 5s 56 so INVENTOR. CHARLES C. BELL ATTORNEY United States Patent TEXTILE SPINDLE Charles C. Bell, East Greenwich, R. I., assignor to Universal Winding Company, Cranston, R. 1., a COI'POlfla tion of Massachusetts Original application May 1, 1950, Serial No. 159,345, now Patent No. 2,699,033, dated January 11, 1955. Divided and this application June 7, 1954, Serial No. 435,005

3 Claims. (Cl. 308228) The present invention is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 159,345, filed May 1, 1950, now Patent 2,699,033, for Textile Spindle and relates to a spindle for spinning and twisting machines, and more particularly relates to such a spindle provided with novel means for lubricating the bearings thereof.

In the following specification and claims the term yarn is employed in a general sense to apply to all kinds of strand material, either textile or otherwise, and the designation package is intended to mean the product of a winding machine whatever its form.

The above mentioned application Serial No. 159,345 discloses and claims a textile spindle adapted to rotate an out-of-balance bobbin of yarn at high speed. Difliculty has been experienced in lubricating prior art textile spindles inasmuch as vibration caused by out-of-balance bobbins agitates the oil contained in the step portion of such spindles to such an eXtent that some of its escapes therefrom with attendant damage to the fibers being twisted, due to oil stain, and destruction of the spindle bearings, due to lack of lubrication.

One object of the present invention is to provide means for lubricating the bearings of a textile spindle;

Another object of the present invention is to provide a textile spindle incorporating means for lubricatinng the bearings thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a textile spindle having means for lubricating the bearings thereof while avoiding a pool of free oil in the step or bolster thereof.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus possessing the construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in section of a spindle incorporating the present invention.

The present invention will be described herein as applied to a spindle particularly adapted to use onan uptwister. It will be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the invention to an up-twister spindle and that it can be applied to all types of textile spindles, as for example, spindles for use with ring-twisters, captwisters and spinning machines.

The present invention provides a spindle for inserting twist in a strand of textile material. The spindle comprises a spindle blade having an upper portion thereof adapted to rotatably carry a package of yarn which comprises the supply of the material to be twisted, and a lower portion that is relatively flexible and which comprises a cantilever beam spring, rotatably mounted in a spindle step by means of spaced upper and lower bearings. When an out-of- 2,798,775 Patented July 9, 1957 balance package is mounted on the upper portion of the blade, and rotated thereby at high speed, the tendency of said package to rotate about its free axis, instead of around its geometric axis, exerts a radial force on said upper blade portion which causes the flexible portion of the blade, located between the spaced upper and lower hearings to flex or bow by fulcruming about said upper bearing. This flexing or bowing permits the upper blade portion to be displaced laterally to a position which corresponds to, or is a close approximation of, the free axis of the package of yarn, and thus said package is rotated about its free axis or said close approximation thereof.

Referring now to the drawing wherein there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprising a spindle step 10 formed from a hollow upper portion 12 and a hollow lower portion 14. The outer diameter of the lower end of portion 12 is reduced to form an annular shoulder 16 and to permit said lower end to be pressed into the upper end of lower portion 14. Before upper and lower portion 12 and 14 are assembled as above described an annular spindle mounting flange 18 is placed on the lower end of upper portion 12 and against shoulder 16. Mounting flange 18 is held in position on step 10 by reason of being clamped between shoulder 16 and the upper end of lower portion 14. Preferably, a ring of brazing metal is interposed between mounting flange 18 and the upper end of lower portion 14 when step 10 is assembled and the unit is then furnace brazed to form a unitary element. A whorl lock clip 19 is slidably carried by flange 18 in groove 21 formed in its periphery and is adapted to selectively prevent or permit removal of the spindle blade from step 10.

Spindle step 10 is adapted to be resiliently mounted in an opening provided in a spindle swing 20, which may be of any convenient design, by means of spindle step flange 18 and felt washer 22 engaging the upper surface of said spindle swing 20, and spindle mounting spring 24 interposed between the lower surface of spindle swing 20 and mounting nut 26, threaded on lower portion 14 of spindle step- 10 all in the manner conventional in the art.

A spindle blade 28, adapted to carry and rotate a pack age of yarn, is rotatably mounted in spindle step 10 by means of upper bearing 32 and step bearing 34. Spindle blade 28 is comprised of an upper substantially rigid portion 36 of sufficient length to pass through the axial opening in the bobbin carried thereby and tapered an appropriate amount to cause said bobbin tofirmly seat thereon.

A hollow spindle whorl 31, adapted to engage a driving belt to rotate spindle blade 28 in a conventional manner, and having a latch engaging flange 33 at its lower edge, is rigidly attached to said spindle blade at the lower end of tapered portion 36. The diameter of the bore of whorl 31 is larger than the outside diameter of upper step portion 12 to permit said whorl to telescope over said upper portion when blade 28 is assembled in step 10, and to permit said whorl to cock with said blade without interferring with said step.

A substantially cylindrical bearing surface 38 is formed on blade 28 adjacent upper portion 36, and a cylindrical bearing surface 40 of smaller diameter than bearing surface 38 is provided adjacent the lowerend of blade 28. The lower end of blade 28 is ground flat in a plane substantially at degrees to the axis of said blade to provide a thrust bearing surface adapted to cooperate with,

a thrust bearing to be described more in detail hereinafter.

at approximately a 45 degree angle to facilitate inserting bearing surface 40 into step bearing 34 and to reduce the area of said flat thrust surface. 7 The diameter of blade 28 is preferably considerably 3 reduced immediately below bearing surface 38 by means of a smoothly curved shoulder 42 so that the length 44 of blade 28 which is located between bearing surface 40 and said shoulder 42 isrelatively flexible.

The bore of upper portion 12 of spindle step is enlarged at the top thereof to provide a bearing receiving recess 45 above an annular internal shoulder 46. A selflubricating anti-friction bearing 48 is located in bearing recess 45 to cooperate with upper bearing surface 38. Anti-friction bearing 48' is preferably a roller bearing comprising a plurality of relatively short rollers 62 to permit bearing surface 38 to cock as the relatively flexible length 44 of blade 28 flexes under the influence of an out-of-balance package of yarn without causing the bearing to jam or look. Rollers 62 are supported vertically by washer 64 which rests on shoulder 46. An outer bearing race 66 is supported against lateral movement by the wall of bearing recess 45 and vertically by washer 64. Rollers 62 are spaced circumferentially around race 66, and prevented from falling out of position when blade 28 is removed from step 10 by a cage or roller retainer (not shown) of any convenient design. Rollers 62 and race 66 are held in bearing recess 45 by bearing retaining and lubricating ring 68, preferably formed of an oil impregnated sintered bronze material, but which can be formed from any other convenient porous material which possesses a suificient degree of hardness and which is non-abrasive, locked in bearing recess by washer 70 which engages the top of said ring 68. The upper edge of upper step portion 12 is rolled inwardly over the outer edge of washer 70 to lock it and the entire upper bearing assembly 32 in step 10. The bore of bearing retaining and lubricating ring 68 flares outwardly at its lower end to a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of bearing race 66 so that it extends over and is adapted to contact a small area of the end of each roller 62 to prevent their vertical displacement and to transmit thereto a small quantity of oil. The upper end of bearing retaining and lubricating ring 68 is provided with a rabbet 72 which cooperates with the inner wall of bearing receiving recess 45 to form a groove which is packed with an oil impregnated felt 74. Washer 70 is provided with an oil hole 76 located above felt ring 74 through which oil can be applied to felt ring 74 to replenish the oil carried thereby as it is, used in the normal operation of the spindle.

Lower spindle bearing 34 comprises a, cup-shaped plug 50 which closes the lower end of the lower portion 14 of spindle step 10 and is held in place therein by any convenient means. A bushing 52, preferably formed of an oil impregnated sintered bronze material, but which can be formed of any other convenient porous bearing material, is located in and snugly held by cup-shaped plug 50. Bushing 52 is adapted to cooperate with bearing surface 40 on spindle blade 28 to journal the lower end of said blade. Bushing 52 is of greater length than the depth of the bore of cup-shaped plug 50 and therefore extends out of said plug 50. an appreciable distance to form together with plug 50 and the inner wall of step portion 14 an annular groove which is packed with a ring of oil impregnated felt 54. The upper end of bushing 52 is provided with a flange 53 having a diameter substantially equal to the bore of lower step portion 14 whereby it snugly engages the inner surface of said bore and encloses felt ring 54. The periphery of flange 53 is provided with one or more notches or grooves 55 to provide an oil passageway therethrough to permit minute quantities of oil to flow down the wall of step 10, from upper bearing 32, and in to felt ring 54 to replenish its oil supply.

The lower end of bushing 52 is enlarged to form an axial pocket 56. A thrust ball 58 is loosely contained in axial pocket 56 and rests on a hardened plate 60 interposed between the lower end of bushing 52 and the bottom of the bore of cup-shaped plug 50. It will thus be seen that spindle blade 28 is rotatably mounted in spindle step 10 by means of upper bearing 32 and lower bearing 34 and that thrust ball 58 provides a thrust bearing for the end of blade 28 to support the weight of said blade and the weight of the package of yarn carried thereby. The fact that thrust ball 58 is loosely contained in axial pocket 56 permits it to roll around a circular path bounded by the wall of said pocket to cause said ball to be in rolling contact with the flat thrust surface on blade 28 thus providing an anti-friction thrust bearing for said blade.

Since certain changes may be made in the above apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrated and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A textile spindle comprising the combination of a hollow spindle step having an open end, a spindle blade, an anti-friction bearing in said step adjacent said open end and adapted to rotatably mount said blade in said step, anda porous metal ring impregnated with lubricant contacting the. inner wall of said step between said bearing and said open end and secured in said step to retain said bearing in saidstep and to be wiped by the anti-friction elements ofsaid bearing to transfer lubricant thereto.

2. A textile spindle comprising the combination of a hollowspindle step having an open end, a spindle blade, an anti-friction bearing in said step adjacent said open end and adapted to rotatably mount said blade in said step, a porous metal ring impregnated with lubricant contacting the inner wall of said step between said bearing and said open end and secured in said step to retain said bearing in said step and to be wiped by the anti-friction elements of said bearing to transfer lubricant thereto, and means carried by said ring adapted to replenish the lubricant transferred thereby to said bearing.

3. A textile spindle comprising the combination of a hollow spindle step having an open end, a spindle blade, spaced upper and lower bearings in said step adapted to rotatably mount said blade in said step, a porous metal ring impregnated with lubricant contacting the inner wall of said step between said upper bearing and said open end and secured in said step to retain said bearing in said step and to be wiped by the anti-friction elements of said upper bearing to transfer lubricant thereto, means carried by said ring adapted to replenish the lubricant transferred thereby to said upper bearing, lubricant impregnated means located adjacent said lower bearing and adapted to provide said lower bearing with lubricant, and means permitting excess lubricant provided said upper bearing by said ring to be collected by said lubricant impregnated means to thus replenish the supply of lubricant carried thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 591,054 Nicol Oct. 5, 1897 1,618,877 Henry Feb. 22, 1927 2,029,445 Schubert Feb. 4, 1936 2,104,216 Albrecht Jan. 4, 1938 2,193,713 Cole Mar. 12, 1940 2,351,951 Gleitz June 20, 1944 2,675,280 Meadows Apr. 13, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 212,903 Switzerland Mar. 17, 1941 264,042 Great Britain Jan. 13, 1927 

